Criminal involvement of soldiers in kidnapping

The situation has been worsened by the involvement of soldiers, as was the case when Margaret, the wife of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was recently kidnapped. When security agents become active promoters of crime, finding a lasting solution becomes much more complicated.  But the heads of such security agencies have a duty to fish out the criminals among them so that they can face justice.
 

While targets are usually picked up after careful analyses of their net worth, kidnapping sometimes could be arbitrary. They sometimes capture a victim that was never targeted and, thereafter, interview the person before deciding on a ransom. The latter option was deployed in the case of Mike Ozekhome, a lawyer, who was kidnapped on the Benin-Auchi Road three years ago. It was after an interaction with his captors that the ransom was decided.

Prominent Nigerians such as a former presidential candidate, Olu Falae, who was kidnapped on his 77th birthday; politician, Iyabo Anisulowo; the late writer, Elechi Amadi; Peter Adomokhai, a retired Maj.-Gen. in the Nigerian Army; Kamene Okonjo, a professor and mother of the then Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have also had their bitter experiences from their sojourn with kidnappers. Medical doctors in Ekiti State once declared an indefinite strike to protest their being frequently targeted by kidnappers.

It, however, came as a rude shock to Nigerians when two serving soldiers and another that had been dismissed were named among the nine suspects paraded for the kidnap of Emefiele’s wife. About N14.7 million, part of the ransom money paid, was found on them at the time of arrest. A suspect, Mohammed Sule, reportedly confessed that another “soldier and a gang leader” escaped with some of the loot. This tells a lot about the depth of depravity in the Nigerian Army, where, sometime ago, some soldiers were court-martialled for selling arms from the military armoury worth more than N100 million to Niger Delta militants.

The involvement of soldiers in kidnapping is an emerging trend that should worry the authorities. When Mikel Obi’s father, Michael Obi, was kidnapped and a ransom of $4 billion demanded, it was discovered that the kidnappers were also soldiers. A report quoting the then Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ayeni, said the kidnappers described the ransom as “chicken change to Mikel and his Chelsea club.”

What happened to that military tradition rooted in patriotism and discipline? This is a betrayal of confidence that should not be overlooked. A soldier that acts in such manner could also compromise the security of the country at a critical period. It will be interesting to know how the soldiers, said to be from a regiment in Maiduguri, Borno State, found their way to Benin-Agbor Road, where Emefiele was kidnapped, especially when soldiers in the barracks are not supposed to enjoy such latitude of movement.

Laws should be enforced to know whether they serve as a deterrent or not. Perhaps, the only law being enforced is the demolition of houses of the kidnappers in the South-East zone.

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